Device for preventing refilling of bottles.



PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

E. A. BUSSE.

DEVICE FOR PEEVENTING REFILLING 0F BOTTLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.4. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

110.771,122. PATENTED SE1 T 2'7,1904..

1". A. BUSSE.

DEVICE POR PREVENTI'NG REFILLING 0E BOTTLES.

APPLIGATION FILED DE01/l, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.bottle again.

UNTED STATES Patented September 2'7, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

DEVICE FOR PREVENTING REFILLING OF BOTTLES.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,122, dated. September 27, 1904. Application filed December 4, 1903. Serial No. 183,794. (No model.)

To rrr/ZZ` whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FRANK A. Busse, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alameda, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices to Prevent Reiilling of Bottles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements made in devices that are adapted for insertion in the neck of a bottle to prevent the fraudulent reilling of the bottle after it has been emptied of its contents; and the improvements have for their object chiefly the production of a device having' a straightway outlet-passage for the liquid, a separate inlet-passage for the air, and separate valves operating by gravity and the pressure of the liquid for controlling said passages.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for the desired purpose that may be permanently xed in the neck of the bottle, so that it cannot be removed without destroying it or breaking the bottle, or, if so desired, it may be removed and the bottle be refilled by the original bottler of the liquid or those who are rightfully entitled to use the In the first-mentioned case the device is provided with a fastening means that permanently fixes the device in place by engaging a groove or recess in the neck of the bottle. In the other case the device after being inserted in the bottle is secured in position by a wire cage covering the end of the bottle-neck and the top end of the device, the

latter being specially formed to coperate with the wire cage and to be secured in the neck in 'such manner that it cannot be removed without destroying or tampering with the cage or the sealing device.

To such ends and objects my said invention consists in certain novel parts and combination of parts, as hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims at the end of this specilication, in which also reference is had to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l of the drawings represents in longitudinal section a device embodying my invention permanently fixed within the neck of a bottle, all the parts, excepting the liquidvalve and the air-inlet tube and its controllingvalve, being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the device, on an enlarged scale, showing the position taken by the valves when the bottle is turned to let the liquid iiow out. Fig. 3 is an outside view, partly in seetion, of the casing or body of the device without the valves, showing the fastening device to lock the lcasing in the neck of the bottle. Fig. 4 is a view of the spring-fastening removed from the casing. Fig. 5 represents the neck of a bottle and the device secured in it by wires and sealing-tag, so that it can be removed only by destroying the seal. Fig. 6 is a top view of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through 7 7, Fig. 6. f

The casing a is cylindrical in cross-section and of sufciently smaller dimensions circumferentially than the inside dimensions of the neck of the bottle to accommodate any slight variations in the diameter of the neck of one bottle over another of about the same size. The casing may vary in length according to the different sizes or kinds of bottles or similar receptacles to which it may be found applicable. The straightway passage through the casing is reduced in its internal diameter at the bottom or lower portion to form an inclined valve-seat and the end of the passage X below the valve-seat is closed by a solid head ax, in which is a central aperture 2 and a circle of spaced apertures f. On the outside of the head in line with the central aperture 2 a tubular neck g extends beyond the end of the casing and is threaded externally to fit a threaded socket /LX in a tube 7L, which by that means is secured on the end of the casing. As the function of this tube /z is to carry or continue the tubular passage beyond the end of the casing into the liquidholding space of the bottle, the tube and the neck may be in one piece with the head ax, which may be a plug fixed in the end of the casing instead of being integral with the shell or body of the casing, as is shown in the drawings.

To the valve-seat Z)v is fitted a puppet-valve having a body m, with a conical face a to fit and close on the valve-seat, and also a cup-` shaped cavity p in the head or top. From the bottom of this cavity a straight tubular TOO stem .w on the end of the valve-body extends through and is fitted to slide longitudinally in the passage 2, the length of such movement being sufficient to seat the valve-face n on or set it away from the seat The stem being somewhat longer than the neck g is threaded to take a nut t, which by adjustment on the screw-threaded portion limits the throw of Athe valve and regulates the area of the opening around the valve m when the valve is ofil its seat. Through this tubular passage leading from the bottom of the cavity p the air from the outside, entering at the mouth of the bottle, is carried into the liquid-holding space below the casing, while the liquid at the same time linds an exit from the bottle by iiowing through the apertures f into the space 6X above, whence it passes between the valveseat and the valve m, when the latter is caused to drop away from its seat by tipping the bottle to pour the liquid. The air-vent thus carried through the outlet-valve m is controlled by a separate valve consisting of a balle, fitted to a hemispherical seat px on the bottom of the cavity and having limited movement with sufficient play in the cupshaped cavity to allow the air to pass the ball and enter the bottle through the tubular passage when the bottle is tipped. The extent of its movement away from the seat is practically very slight, for the area of the inlet to admit the air may be very small as compared with the outlet for the liquid, so that an equally slight movement is required to seat the ball and close the air-passage. In order to limit the movement of the vent-valve e, I provide a cage e', that may be suitably secured to the outlet-valve m. The ball is made sufficiently light to be sensitive to the pressure of any liquid that may be introduced through the mouth of the bottle above the ball and to be brought to its seat in the cavity at the same time with the valve n, so as to close the air-vent as well as the liquid-outlet at such time. The effect of this is to prevent the introduction of a liquid through the mouth of the bottle in an attempt to refill the same either by immersing the bottle or by the use of hydrostatic pressure.

In the upper part of the casing at some distance above the valves a guard y is fixed in the casing as a means of preventing the valve from being held off its seat by inserting a wire hook or other instrument with a hookshaped end to catch and hold the valve off its seat. This part y is preferably of conical shape, with a solid fiat top g/X and with apertures y2 in its sloping sides below the top to afford passage of the liquid. Below this guard on the inner wall of the casing a ledge or projection z forms a means to catch and arrest the end of the wire in its downward course should it pass through the opening in the guard. At this point ,e the end of the wire, if it be a stiff one, will be arrested and prevented from reaching the valve, while a iiexible wire will become bent and tangled by striking the ledge.

As thus constructed the device is fixed in the neckv of a bottle either permanently by means of an expanding ring or gasket 3, set in a groove in the circumference of the casing and by its expansion adapted to engage a groove or a shoulder il, provided in the inner wall of the neckof the bottle at a point of distance sufficiently below the mouth to prevent the same from being tampered with from the outside, or in another way the easing is fastened in the bottle byvmeans of a wire cage 5 and a sealing-tag 6, covering the ends of the wire strands after the cage is placed in position.

Vhere in the use of this device it may be desirable to provide for removing it without injuring the device or breaking the bottle, so as to allow them to be used again, the casing is secured in the neck of the bottle by means of the wiring and seal, as above mentioned, and for that purpose the casing t is formed with a flange 7 at or near the top end, extending circumferentially around it and provided with notches 8 in the rim for the wire to lie in, as represented in Figs. 5 and 6. This fiange resting on the top of the neck is drawn closely down to a seat therein and is tightly held in place by the wire cage, composed usually of several strands of wire twisted to.

gether to produce four perpendicular legs spaced to correspond with the notches in the flange and of proper length to extend from the flange downward to the groove or shoulder on the neck of the bottle. The wires of the perpendicular members are carried over and laid across the top of the flange between the notches, forming the horizontal members of the cage and joining all the legs together, lwhile the latter, extending down the sides of the neck after the cage is placed over the flange, are tied or joined together at the ends by a binding-wire l2, which is drawn tightly around the neck of the bottle under the shoulder 14., provided thereon, and is secured in the Well-known way of securing the wiring in bottles by means of a leaden seal or tag 6. Secured in the neck of the bottle in this manner the device cannot be removed without breaking the cage or destroying the seal, and in either ease the fact that the fastening has been destroyed or the seal tampered with or changed will indicate that the bottle has not been filled or refilled by the proper party, while at the same time the casing may be removed and the bottle opened for refilling by the original party, who can replace or renew the cage and its seal. When the casing is secured in this manner, the bottle is closed after filling it by inserting a cork directly in the end of the casing, which extends above the top end of the neck; but in the other construction the inserted casing lies entirely within the neck of IOO IIO

the bottle, and its upper end is sufficiently below the top of the neck to afford room for the cork, which in that case is inserted directly in the neck.

When so desired, the top end of the casing and its iiange in the form illustrated in Fig. may be covered by a leaden capsule before the cage is placed on the neck.

To prevent the passage of liquid between the casing and the Surrounding neck of the bottle, a packing of sheet cork or other suitable material is placed around the casing before it is inserted in the neck of the bottle. This packing is indicated atw in Fig. 1 and at a', Fig. 7.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a device to prevent refilling of bottles, a cylindrical casing adapted to ill and close the passage through the neck of the bottle, and having a straightway passage through it opening through the upper end, anaperture in the center of the bottom of said casing, a tubular neck extending therefrom and a tube of larger diameter fixed to said neck and forming a continuation thereof into the liquid-holding space of the bottle, avalve-seat in the inner walls of the casing above said central aperture, an upwardly-opening valve seating thereon to close the passage, a tubular guide-stem yforming a vent-tube on the bottom of the valve, opening through the body of the valve and extending downwardly through the tubular neck of the casing, a stop on said stem for regulating the lift' of said valve, a ventcontrolling valve adapted to close the aperture through the outlet-valve and carried by said valve, means on the outlet-valve for limiting the movement of the ven t-valve and outlet-apertures in the bottom of the casing opening into the passage around the vent-tube.

2. In a device to prevent thge refilling of bottles, a cylindrical casing adapted for inserting in the neck of a bottle, and having a straightway outlet-passage, a valve-seat on the inner wall above the lower end, an outlet-valve adapted to be normally seated thereon and having a cavity containing a ball-valve, and an inlet-aperture at the bottom controlled by the ball-valve, a tubular stem extending from said inlet-aperture through the end ofthe casing and into the liquid-holding space of the bottle, said stem forming a guide for the outlet-valve, and means carried by the outletvalve to limit the movement of the ball-valve.

3. The combination with the neck of a bottle, of a cylindrical casing adapted to close the passage through the neck, and having a straightway outlet-passage for the liquid, a vent-aperture in the bottom centrally disposed, and a tubular extension therefrom leading downwardly into the liquid-holding space of the bottle, outlet-apertures in the bottom of the casing communicating with the straightway passage, a valve-seat on the inner wall of said passage above said outlet-apertures, a cup-shaped outlet-valve fitted to said seat, and having a tubular stem as a rigid member lthereof extending into the tubular neck below vthe bottom of the casing, said stem being adapted to form a guide for the valve and a vent for air through the tubular extension of the casing, a valve carried by the outlet-valve, operating t`o control the vent-passage, and means on the outlet-valve for limiting the movement of the vent-valve.

4. The combination of the cylindrical casing having a valve-seatin the lower end, apertures in the end of the casing for the outflow of liquid from the bottle, an outwardly-opening liquid-controlling valve adapted to 'be normally seated on the valve-seat said valve having a tubular stem extending from its bottom through the end of the casing and into the liquid-holding space of the bottle, a ball-valve carried by said liquid-controlling valve and adapted to close the passage through the tubular stem under the pressure of liquid entering the casing through the mouth of.,the bottle, means for limiting the movements of said ballvalve, and a guard xed in the casing above the liquid-controlling valve and having openings for the passage of the liquid.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK A. BUSSE. 

